Universalism
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Universalism refers to concepts and issues which are said to be "universal" in appeal—i.e. transcending any existing localizing boundaries. The term may refer to:
- In comparative religion, universalism is the belief that true and valuable insights are available in many of the religious traditions which have grown up in various human cultures. It posits that a spiritually aware person will respect religious traditions other than his own and will be open to learning from them. It does not deny that immersion in one tradition is a useful anchor for an individual's spiritual development. While it celebrates the richness and value to be found among humankind's religious traditions, it does not necessarily deny that some things done in the name of religion, and some religious practices, are not constructive. But it distinguishes itself from the view that there is only one true faith, one uniquely chosen people, or one final prophet superseding all others. The name Universalist refers to certain religious denominations of universalism, which as a core principle adhere to standards and rituals which are convergent rather than divergent, often espousing themselves as alternatives to denominations based on dogmatic or factionalized differences.
- A universal religion is one that holds itself true for all people and thus allows anyone to join, regardless of their ethnicity. In contrast, ethnic religions, like ethnicity itself, can be determined not just by genealogy, but by geography, language, and other social boundaries. In that sense Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism are universal religions, whereas Sikhism, Hinduism, and Judaism are ethnic religions. However, Judaism may also be considered universal, since there is no requirement for non-Jews to convert, only for them to follow the Noahide Laws. Contrast with Chosen people.
- Within Christianity, Universalism, Universal reconciliation, or universal salvation, is the doctrine that all will be saved.
- Universalism is also used as a synonym for moral universalism, as a compromise between moral relativism and moral absolutism.
- Universalism can also mean the wish for a closer union between all people of the world (the emergence of world citizens) and/or the aim of creating common global institutions (democratic globalization)
Universalism in Christianity
As noted above, in Christianity, Universalism, Universal reconciliation, or universal salvation, is the doctrine that all will be saved. Among theologians the doctrine is often referred to using the Greek word apocatastasis. The doctrine addresses the problem of Hell and notions of God's mercy and justice. Universalists contend that a loving God would not submit anyone, regardless of his or her sins or beliefs, to everlasting torment. Some also argue that eternal condemnation in Hell, an infinite punishment, is not proportionately just with any number of essentially finite sins. Scriptural support includes Biblical passages such as 1 Corinthians 15:22 and Revelation 5:13. Some universalists, sometimes called "strong universalists," hold that all creatures, including demons and even Satan himself, will eventually be saved. In North America, some adherents formed the Universalist Church, which in 1961 merged with the American Unitarian Association to form the Unitarian Universalist Association and creating a new form of Universalism called Unitarian Universalism.
Universalists as a matter of historical definition are those who believe God to be so loving that all will be reconciled to God's own self. Anything short of "universal salvation," Universalists in the 18th century thought, would fail to comport with the image of God as all-powerful and all-knowing. The doctrine can be traced to the earliest centuries of Church history, and was taught by both Origen and St. Gregory of Nyssa. Universalists in 18th and 19th century North America often believed that the punishment for sin was simply the fate of having to live the life of a sinner, and that this was sufficient and "just retribution" for such conduct. Others believed in something closer to purgatory, while others said it was beyond the understanding of mortals to know what would ultimately transpire before all dwell in "final harmony" with God.
As for human conduct, Universalists typically have taught that the boundless love of God by which all sin will (at least eventually) be forgiven animates a similar duty for humankind, citing the same biblical texts on forgiveness that are used by 'partialists' (a Universalist term for non-Universalist Christians) to illustrate the principles by which Universalists seek to live, among which the most notable is the petition from the Lord's Prayer - "Forgive us our [debts/sins/trespasses], as we forgive our [debtors/those who trespass against us/those who sin against us]". (See Forgiveness.)
In its more pluralist expressions, and as a result of its ultimate consolidation of the Universalist Church of America with the Unitarian denomination, many Universalists have moved away from an explicitly or wholly biblical foundation for their inclusive faith. That said, Universalists have bestowed upon Unitarian Universalism a global understanding of what constitutes God's family, an undiminished belief in the goodness of the life, and a commitment to seeking reconciliation and restorative justice in their personal relationships and in the public realm.
It should be noted that there remain Christians outside the fold of the Unitarian Universalist Association, who are otherwise theologically conservative and who hold to Universalism. These include various Evangelical and Baptist Universalist ("no-heller") groups. [1] [2] Many Universalists believe that Jesus was the first Universalist. They tend to insist on walking the talk and being of service to their communities and see their religion as a means of commitment to peace and justice and being true to a stand on human rights of all people regardless of any category or false division. It should also be noted that there are "hopeful" universalists in many of the larger denominations [3][4] [5], and many universalists who believe in hell as a place of remedial punishment. This belief in hell is held by Bishop Carlton Pearson's "Higher Dimensions Family Church," and stated on their web site (on the frequently asked questions page) in the following words:
"A person who spends every day getting drunk, will ruin their health, marriage, family and career; they will make their lives a living Hell. But that still falls far short of the chronic alcoholic being condemned by a just God to literally burn in Hell forever and ever. For others it may very well be that the punishment merited by their sins is greater than what they receive in this life. For those people perhaps there will be some kind of punishment after death, but we believe that it will be remedial and corrective rather than just punishment for punishment's sake. Exactly what that will be and how long it will last we don't know. Will Hell for some people last 10 minutes or 10 million years...we don't know. But this we do know; Hell will not last for eternity; it will not be endless...Don't sin. Be reunited with God now, rather than after you have put yourself (and those you love) through Hell." [6]
Universalism in Ananda Marga
- In Ananda Marga, Universalism refers to the ideas that energy and matter are evolved from cosmic consciousness. Thus, all created beings are of one universal family. This is an expansion of humanism to include everything as family, based on fundamental truth that the universe is a thought projection from the Supreme.
See also
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